Fishing Journal 2017 04-21:

Well if your from Delaware or PA or NJ, and you haven’t heard the big Bluefish are thick at Cape Henlopen South Side then you must live under a rock! The daily posting has been crazy on Facebook. Planning the Delaware Paddlesports Crew and a few others decided to hit the bay on Friday April 21st Bluefishing Cape Henlopen. This would be my first time launching in the park and out on this body of water atop my Big Rig.

A good evening:

It was a cool calm evening meeting up with the DPS crew. We all launched around 5:00 PM from the beach by the pier. Some guys were still on the water from earlier. As the DPS guys were all grouped up and taking photos with their cell phones I broke out my DLSR. And took a few pictures of them posing on their Hobies. We fished for a while trolling. No fish for about an hour and a half. Then suddenly the clicker on my Abu Garcia Screaming Fish On! The SP Minnow was on! An excellent fight producing a bluefish just over 28″ in length. Bernie the River Stick guy landed 2 nice ones on a top water hard bait. Joe Hosler had a real nice one in the 42″ range on an SP minnow also. Kevin caught a 16.75″ founder on a large rattle trap. Although the fishing was slow it was a very nice night out.

I’m looking forward to Bluefishing Cape Henlopen and also fishing with the DPS crew again in the near future!

Living right on the Indian River bay has some advantages. After work I can now get out on the water for a little while. I took advantage of this on a Friday April 5th 2017. This day was special because I was able to catch one of southern Delawares Phenomenal Sunsets.

It was a chilly breezy evening and wanting to get out and see if I could find some stripes (Striped Bass). Dropping in out of Pot-Nets Seaside Long Neck put me closer to the Indian River Bay Inlet. I figured this would be a good area to find Striped Bass due to its proximity to the ocean. The wind was out of the south east and man was it blowing. Had to be 15 – 20 producing over 2 foot white capping waves. I headed out using the Torqeedo and went across to Burton Island where I was hoping to be shielded a bit. Well that didn’t work. So I made a few casts to the shallow water and where it dropped off. Casting a jig with a paddle take soft bait. My fish finder was clear of fish marks.

Another point was to get out on the yak while also scoping out and mark areas that id think flounder will hold in the spring time. I located a few good drop offs from sandbars and marked them in the Lowarnce Elite 5TI. Soon it will be time to jig these areas and hope for decent sized flounder! In the spring time the big flounder typically come into the back bays to spawn in the shallow grassy waters.

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By now it was getting dark and due to the overcast I didn’t think there would be a visible sunset. To my surprise in the distance on the very edge of the horizon there was an abundant orange glow. A few minutes later the sky lit up bright yellow and red. Reflecting off the water the hues filled the bay and the surrounding landscape. This was one of the best sunsets I have ever seen from my kayak seat!

It’s a good idea to Take A Free Online Paddle Sports Safety Course every year! A certificate will be awarded if you pass the test! Education about the rules of the road on the water are designed to create a safer experience paddling. Many people don’t realize how dangerous paddle sports can be. Unfortunately every year people are seriously injured or die due to inexperience and not knowing simple guidelines  to keep them safe. These paddle sport rules were created specifically to keep people safer and aware.

Whats Required?

It is not required for a paddler to take and pass a boater safety certification course & exam.  However passing the exam is required prior to piloting a motor boat in most US states.  This also applies to motorized personal watercraft or a jet ski. All states requirements vary between horsepower and length of vessel. Typically any motorized craft is subject to checking your state laws to find what is required.

What the paddle sports safety course entails:

I found this course to have some very important information. I recommend for you take the time to go through it. You will find the course has integrated audio so you can listen or read along. Doesn’t get any simpler than that.

The course covers:

1. The boat
2. Boating Equipment
3. Trip Planning & Prep
4. Marine Enviroment
5. Safe Boat Operation
6. Emergency Preparedness

Free Online Paddlesports Safety Course:

http://www.boaterexam.com/paddling/

Remember always wear your PFD!